Rhapsody
by Pokemanz Neo
Summary: After many a perilous adventure, professional treasure hunters John and Rush decide to get some r & r for a change. Though things don't go exactly according to plan when John accepts a shady Job offer. Now, in the crosshairs of one of the world's most dangerous organizations, they'll need to muster all of their wits if they hope get through this one...
1. Chapter 1

**Rhapsody**

Morning was the same as usual in the small alolan village of Ka'Ori. The market was lively, the children were rowdy, and the Pikipek were chirping. Something, or rather someone, seemed out of place though- a Monferno.

The Pokemon was fairly taller than an average specimen of its species. Standing at about 3 "5" tall, both its height and foreignness to the region were drawing a lot of curious eyes from passing locals. The Monferno payed them no heed. Its gaze was firmly fixed at the two men conversing at one of the market stalls. It crossed it's arms in impatience and adjusted the satchel it wore. This was taking too long.

The shop keep was jolly and hospitable- as were most Alolans- as he gave directions to the distinct individual before him. Clad in a grey hoody-shirt and olive green cargo pants, the man was most likely a tourist. The shop keep assumed hoenner based on the light brown skin.

The Monferno stirred as the hoenner approached. "Mon ferno? ( _Got anything?)"_

"Yep. All set. Looking to be a pretty long trek for this one." The man said.

"Mon? Fer! Monferno mon. ( _Really? F*©k! Loot better be worth it._ )"

"Lighten up grouch. Our guy's paying extra for this. 'Bout 50 stacks, remember?"

"….Mon ferno. Ferno, monfer mon. _(…Point taken. Welp, better start hoofing it then._ )"

"I swear though, the guy has a hard on for these things. The one we're getting's apparently his 7th piece from the Tapus. I'd be surprised if he makes it to the end of the month curse-free! Oh yeah, you didn't forget…"

Both man and Monferno headed towards the docks, chatting the minutes away.

Both were unaware that they were under surveillance. The lone figure continued to observe them from behind black shades as he contacted his superior.

"It's Collins. I've got your 2 men right here."

"Very well. Consult with them after they finish their current business. Until then, keep their whereabouts in check."

"Got it. Will do."

Collins turned off his earpiece. He slightly pondered what the targets had done to attract the attention of his boss. The boss was a man of power, possessing many means to attain whatever he desired. He easily could've found a much better way, and yet he chose to involve these 2.

Collins set aside his notions. He was here simply to follow orders, not to think. He had never failed in his endeavors, which was even how he was chosen by the boss in the first place. He didn't plan to start now.

"Let's just hope that you make this easy for me…." The man thought.

…

You know, sometimes in life, you just think about what could've been.

Like, for example: "I could've dated Rachel from accounting if only Brad hadn't asked her out!" or "I'd probably be an engineer if I didn't drop out!"

I find myself thinking similarly during recent times. On how different my life would have been if I stayed on the high road. Probably wouldn't be running for my life from an ancient tribe of death worshippers hurling poisoned darts and arrows my way. But hey, there's no changing what's already happened. And I guess that if it weren't for my past choices, I would never have met my partner.

So yeah, no time but the present.

Right. It's dusk. We're in Lush jungle. Running. I'm ru-

"MON! ( _DUCK!_ )"

FWOOOSHH!

"SH*T! Phew, that was waaaay too close!"

"Monferno ferno monfer! ( _That makes 23 times you owe me for saving your ass!_ )"

"You're still keeping count!?"

"Fer! Monferno! Ferno mon! ( _Less talk, more run! Won't reach 24 if you bite the dust you know!_ )"

I glanced back at our pursuers. "I mean come on! IT'S JUST A PIECE OF FUCKING WOOD! CALM THE F*%K DOWN!"

Yelling didn't even faze them. Then again, they probably didn't even understand what I just said. The group chasing us was made up of brown-skinned men wearing various facemasks and loincloths. All of them had a myriad of warm-colored tattoos depicting their status in their tribe. The tats were painted all over their face, arms, stomach and legs.

Honestly, they look pretty fun and festive. It's like visiting one of those famous traditional Alolan festivals. Except everyone is trying to kill you.

The undergrowth slowed us down significantly. The natives though, having lived in this place for generations, were used to the terrain and were gaining on us. We needed something good to happen, and fast, or the 2 of us were prime candidates as these loonies' next offering to their Tapu deities or whatever the hell they worship.

I swear to Arceus, I have the worst luck when it comes to Mondays.

"Mon ferno mon! ( _Ravine 4 O' clock!_ )"

I looked to where he was pointing. Sure enough, a ravine was situated just a few meters away from the edge of the forest line. Also, a lone large Pamtre tree hung near the edge of the precipice. From the top dangled a single, lengthy vine.

I do not like where this is going.

"Would you rather your heart cut out and limbs dismembered, or get multiple fractures and internal bleeding?"

"Ferno mon ferno. ( _I prefer not dying._ )"

"Alright, alright! F#©k it, let's go!"

We diverted our path and made a beeline to the ravine. Just as we reached the clearing, I looked back to see if we were still being followed. Big mistake.

My momentary surprise at seeing them so close behind was enough for one of them to land a hit on my left shoulder. A surging wave of pain suddenly blossomed from where the arrow struck. I pulled it out and saw the tip excrete a thin purple liquid. My partner stared at me with concern.

"Monferno mon? ( _Think you can make it?_ )"

"Urrrghhh…y-yeah. Lucky it's…just….Mareanie extract!"

"Mon mon! Monferno mon…. ( _Hang in there man! Just a little further…._ ) _"_

We managed to reach the base of the tree and start climbing. The poison made me feel like my shoulder was on fire, and it was already starting to spread to my left arm. Breathing out, I grit my teeth as I forced myself to keep climbing.

By the time I grabbed hold on the vine, the tribesmen were already at the bottom. Lucky for us, the Pamtre was a lot taller than the other flora in the area, keeping us out of their range. Unlucky for us though, some of them, armed with crudely-made knives, started to ascend the tree themselves.

"Ready?" I asked my partner. He clung to my back, his arms and legs draped around my torso.

"Ferno. Mon, fer-( _Yeah. Alright, on 3. 1-_ )"

I instantly jumped. The vine was surprisingly sturdy.

"MOOONFEERNOO!? FERNO MOON! ( _WHAAAAT THE HEELL MAAN!? I WASN' T FINISHEED!_ )"

"Every movie or TV show ever! The character counts-"

"-Mooonn, mon….( _-Uhhhh, dude…._ )"

"-to 3, and everytime as they get to 2-"

"MONFERNO! ( _LOOOK!_ )"

I gazed behind me to see what he was so intent on me seeing.

I made some pretty bad screw-ups in the past, but this one will probably be remembered as one of the worst.

So, Lush Jungle. Nobody's ever explored its entirety because cartographers were attacked by the very same tribe that moi was running from. Well, turns out, there's actually a river and, in extension, a waterfall that runs through the place. You learn something new every day. Especially if that something is lying dead ahead, gushes tons of water per second, and is so damn tall that you can't see anything but mist over it's edge.

We missed the ledge we were supposed to jump to! ARRRRGGHHH! Me and my big mouth….would probably not live to ramble nonsense another day.

The poison took its toll on my arm. The burning sensation was so intense that it was causing my arm to numb. Shortly after, only my right arm was clutching on to the vine. And it was slipping.

"…Fern monferno mon. ( _I knew something like this would happen._ )"

I lost my grip.

"FFFFFFUU-"

…

On this particular night, a lot of guests crowded Hano grand hotel's casino, talking amongst themselves and spectating the game of Voltorb flip taking place at the center of the room. Two ace players- Gordon Miles and Jonathan Wainwright- were up against each other in a heated match, enlivened even more by the fact that the 2 had agreed that the winner would not only take the loser's earnings, but an extra 500 grand as well.

It was Gordon's last turn. He had 2 cards to choose from. Which one he chose would decide the fate of not only his and Jonathan's money, but also the money pool from the crowd's bets on who would win.

The murmurs shushed as Gordon extended his hand. He looked to his opponent for any indication of a fault. Jonathan's face remained devoid of emotion. Gordon sighed, chose the card at the bottom-left of his table, and slipped it to the edge. Carefully, he lowered his head and raised the card ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of what was on the other side. He paused. He looked melancholy as he placed the card face down on his palm. Jonathan grinned. The crowd gasped. Had Jonathan 'Win-right' done it again!?

Suddenly, with a wry smile, Gordon turned the card around for everyone to see.

It was a 3.

The crowd roared. Gordon beamed. Jonathan cursed and cursed and kept on cursing. It was a great night for Gordon.

"Sir?" A concierge asked Gordon. "Forgive me for interrupting, but there's a man looking for you. He was with a Monferno. If you know the-"

"Send them to my room immediately. I'll follow suit." Gordon answered.

"Certainly, sir. It shall be done at once." The concierge replied. He left swiftly, heading back to the lobby where the 2….. _unusual_ acquaintances of Mr. Gordon were waiting.

It was a great night for Gordon.

It was about to get even better.

…

"Good heavens, man! What happened to you?"

The two individuals seated on Gordon's couch looked ragged and weary, like they had just been fighting in a war zone. The man's clothes were tattered and hung limply from his body as if it had just dried up from being drenched. Not only that, but his entire left arm had swollen up a dark shade of purple, obviously poisoned. His left shoulder was covered with a makeshift bandage ripped off from his own shirt.

The Monferno beside him wasn't exactly in good shape either. Countless cuts and bruises were sprawled all over its matted fur. Even its tail fire looked ready to go out at any moment.

To say that Gordon was appalled was an understatement.

"'Tis but a flesh wound', as they say. You get used to it over the years."

"Oh." Gordon answered.

"Hand it over, Rush."

The Monferno, Rush, reached into the soaked satchel he wore and pulled out a zip lock bag. Opening it up, Rush rummaged through layers of bubble wrap to reveal a small wood carving, in as good condition as when they 'acquired' it. Roughly cylindrical in shape and 4 inches long, it depicted 4 creatures nestled within shells resting on top of one another.

Rush handed the carving to Gordon, who felt completely enthralled as he turned it over and over in his hands.

"My stars…the idol of the ancients! Countless stories, myths, legends…all vindicated by this one small object. An ocean's worth of Alolan blood was spilt just to gain the Tapus' blessings-and its mine. All mine! Hahahahaha! My greatest thanks to the both of you!" Gordon exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great and all….our pay?"

"Oh! Yes, yes! How rude of me! I'll have it for you in a jiffy!"

Gordon was already stepping into his sleeping quarters as he talked. He moved into a doorway and out of the 2 collectors' sight. He came back a few minutes later hefting a heavy briefcase which he laid onto the table in front of the couch. Gordon briefly lost himself in examining the idol until an annoyed voice snapped him back from his daze.

"Hey bud! What's the combination for this thing?"

"Oh, err, forgive me. It's 1-2-3-5. It's just that I've been pining for-"

The man tuned out Gordon's voice as he inspected the contents of the briefcase. 500 million Pokes. Exactly how much they agreed on. Satisfied, he beckoned for Rush to follow as he strode towards the door.

"-actually influenced by celestial beings! Hmm? You're leaving so soon?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah. It's been nice dealing with you, but me and Rush here have some other things planned."

"But the night is still young! An occasion like this merits a grand celebration! Let's head down to the bar boys, drinks are on me!"

"Pass. Goodbye Mr. Miles."

"But-"

The door slammed shut before more was heard from the eccentric.

…

The soft fabric of the beach towel and the gentle sound of the waves helped lessen the aching. I wasn't exactly hunky dory, but it was a million times better than being in the water.

I brought my tail before my face to see how bad it was. It burned so weak that the flame barely left the tip. Not good. I laid my back on the towel, placed my hands on the back of my head and closed my eyes. Instant bliss. Oh maaaaan! I was probably going to stay like this for a while.

"My arm still stings some. Where's it hurt for you?"

"….Everything." I answered.

A few moments of silence passed, none of us really in the mood to talk. I let my thoughts wander back to today's adventure. I thought that the hiking would be the hard part. Boy was I wrong. The wrathful spectres and murderous tribe made sure of that. Well, at least now we've got a decent month's pay. We probably-

"I know exactly what we need. Vacation. A reeaaally long one. Rest up a bit. I mean, we ARE in Alola after all."

"What!? You're sure about this?" I asked.

"With our suitcase full of cash, yeah. I've had enough near-death experiences for now. Also, that time that my genitals almost got cut off? Made me think, that one."

I instantly perked up. The more I thought about it, the wider my grin got. Finally! Just me and my bro-two guys living it up it the tropics. The best part? A break from all those annoying legendaries, murderous pursuers, and injuries that took off a huge chunk of our pay. My head was running wild with ideas.

"Let's check in that hotel later! The one we just came from! Get the priciest room they've got!" I said.

"Yeah."

"Then tomorrow! There's this huge golf course I spotted right next to the lobby! Let's go for a few shots!"

"Yeah."

"After that, we could go see a battle royale match! Get us some of those 'Malasadas' the locals won't shut up about."

"Yeah"

"Oh! Oh! And then-"

"Mr. Matteus? A moment of your time please."

I opened my eyes to see this guy wearing a black suit and shades standing over us. I immediately bared my teeth and growled in frustration. I didn't trust him. For several reasons.

Reason #1: Rude sh*t barged in our conversation.

Reason #2: Who wears a suit to a beach? Better yet, who the f# k wears shades AT NIGHT!? For an bad guy, he really wasn't trying hard to disguise himself.

Reason #3: Call it a sixth sense if you will, but I've always had a knack for telling whether good or bad things were coming our way, and I'm getting some serious bad vibes from this guy.

In short, I wanted him to f*%k off.

Looks like my friend felt the same thing.

"You know, it would be a lot more helpful for your cult, organization, or whoever you work for if you didn't give yourself away like that."

"You're John Matteus and Rush, aren't you? Professional treasure hunters?"

"Depends on who's asking." John answered.

"Collins. Call me collins"

"Collins. Look, if you've got a job for us, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to decline. As you can see, our last business venture left us a bit more damaged than usual. You can leave your number with us if you'd like. We'll be more than happy to take you up on that offer in a few weeks."

"I'm afraid that the man I represent hates to be kept waiting, Mr. Matteus. He wants your services. He's heard how good you are. And he's willing to pay."

"Dude. No. Just no."

"A Trillion Pokes."

"Money doesn't work on me, pal. You should see how many zeros I've got in my bank account."

"And….this."

He reached into one of his suit pockets and pulled out...no way. There's no way! How did he-

"You drive a hard bargain, Collins. We'll think about it." John said.

John stood up and dragged me away from Mr. Black suit. He hid it well, but I could still see a faint trace of shock in his eyes.

"Dude. You saw it too, right?" I whispered.

"Probably a fake. They've done their research, though. They know us more than I thought."

"So now what? That Hano deluxe suite isn't going to book itself."

"We see if it's legit. If it is, we take it. If not, we don't. Simple as that."

"I'm astounded by your masterful expertise of empirical science."

My sarcasm earned me a jab to the shoulder. I flinched with pain- forgot the fact that I WAS in pain after John mentioned the word 'Vacation'. I decided to stay put while he went back to black suit. After a few moments, I saw him release a Houndoom from a pokeball. He handed the object to John, who attached it to his ear. I strained my ears and heard the Houndoom bark.

Judging from the way John reeled backwards, the thing was for real.

They talked for a few more minutes. The Houndoom was giving me this weird look, like he was judging me. Hey, judge away pal. You're looking at a professional adventurer here- nothing but greatness! I flexed my muscles a few times in an over exaggerated way before I closed my eyes as the pain throbbed. He looked unimpressed.

Everybody's a critic.

They shook hands before black suit called back his Houndoom and left. John looked pretty deep in thought.

"Guy's boss must be powerful to get his mitts on the other one, huh?" I said.

"Yeah…sorry man, looks like that vacation's gonna have to wait."

"I'll make an exception for this one. So? Details, details."

"Hehe…sorry 'bout this, but we're not spending the night at Hano."

"…Client could've at least given me 1 fricking night of r & r. Egocentric ass."

"Our 'egocentric ass' has a jet waiting to board us at the airport next island over."

"Here we go again."

"Looks like we're headed to Unova." 


	2. Chapter 2

The dawn sky was accentuated by shades of gold and orange, which shimmered with a dazzling light as it hit the water. A flock of Altaria and Swablu hummed a calming melody as they migrated eastward. They didn't even notice the huge hunk of metal that swiftly passed their flank.

The Bliz 180 cut through the morning air with the precision and finesse that only the best of Silph engineering could have produced. The 20-seater was currently passing above the KanJoh Sea towards their final destination. The pilot was experienced, so much so that he didn't even need a co-pilot to fly the highly-advanced jet. Satisfied with the calm weather conditions, he decided to phone in on his passengers on the intercom.

"This is your captain speaking. Nothing but clear skies on the front. We will be arriving at CIA in an about an hour. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some smooth jazz."

Relaxing music began to fill the cabin. The tune, which showcased the serene vocals of a well-known artist blended with some Jigglypuff cries, was enough to calm even a Primeape mid-rampage. It wasn't really needed though-the occupant situated in the back was already fast asleep. The other passenger, who had just woke up from a short nap, stared upon the wide expanse of sky through the window. Boredom had struck Rush, who thought that the best remedy was to explore around the place.

Rush's displeasure was sated when they first boarded the jet. The interior seemed like an almost exact imitation of the high-class hotel room he wanted- Plush leather seats, free laptops, even some pastries tucked in compartments built within the walls. He realized just how fatigued his body was, though, after John had explained what exactly their current job entailed. He quickly dozed off about 5 minutes into a gaming video. Now, looking outside the window, he felt that feeling you get when your mind isn't quite as awake as your body and can't seem to separate dreams from reality. The sky and ocean seemed to go on forever, moving further and further until they met each other in the distance.

Rush thought that the dream was finally over when he heard the cockpit door open. He suddenly wondered if he was still asleep after all. The vision that appeared in the doorway made it hard for him to believe that this was the waking world. Long legs, slender curvy body, alluring red eyes, lovely furred ears- the Lopunny looked like an angel straight out of the hall of origin. Rush wished that time would stop flowing then and there, just so he could gaze at her for a while longer.

"Here's your breakfast, freshly made!"

Rush was brought out of his reverie. The Lopunny stood right before him. His heart instantly began to race. She was talking to him!

"Alright Rush, just act natural, just be yourself, just be cool, ask her about something she's interested in…" Rush thought.

"Um, sir? Are you alright?"

"DO YOU LIKE SHORTS? THEY'RE COMFY AND EASY TO WEAR!"

"….huh?"

Rush wished that Arceus would cast Judgement on him. He wanted to just crawl into a corner and disappear. He was the biggest idiot in the world right now. This was probably payback for all the artifacts they 'acquired' over the years. But why this? Rush so desperately wanted a cliché curse, be it a crippling illness or just plain bad luck. But no, it just had to hit where it hurts.

"Hahaha! That's…pretty weird coming from a Pokemon. Here. Better eat it while it's still hot!"

Baffled, Rush accepted the steaming plate of pot roast the Lopunny was handing him. Huh. Maybe he still had some hope left. Grasing the knife and fork, he took a bite, mustered all the willpower he could manage, and decided to try again. The Lopunny was about to leave in the other passenger's direction as she heard the Monferno call out to her.

"Hey, um, t-this is really good! Did you make it?" Rush said.

"Flattery, huh? Sorry, but that's not gonna work on me." The Lopunny answered.

Rush knew it. He shouldn't have even tried. His bad mood was short lived though, quickly replaced with surprise as he found the Lopunny taking a seat next to him on one of the sofas.

"You're lucky that I think you're cute." She said with a grin.

"Oh! Errr….yeah.! Cute, that's me, hahaha!" Rush answered.

"I'm Chloe."

"Rush."

Rush felt like he was a bomb squad member about to cut the last wire out of five different-colored ones. And that he was also colorblind. Just one mistake, and it would all be over. Rush turned his face to the side a little in the hopes that Chloe wouldn't see the deep shade of red that adorned his face.

"So, what exactly is it that you do, aside from hitting on private flight attendants?" Chloe asked.

"Me? Well, me and my….uh, partner John over there" Rush said while pointing at John, whose snores were fighting a battle for dominance with the Jazz "are…well, I guess you could call us 'adventurers' of a kind. We gather rare objects from various ruins around the world for our clients. You know, people of culture!"

"-So you take archeological artifacts without government permission and sell them for a mint. Basically thieves!" Chloe teased.

"Hey! We prefer the term 'Treasure Hunter'." Rush snapped back.

"Hey, don't worry! I'm not one to judge. And besides, the two of you are by far the least shadiest persons I've seen on this jet. Drug dealers, Pokemon traffickers- the owner's probably with the mafia." Chloe said.

"Huh…..that's not good. But wait, aren't you bothered by that?" Rush asked.

"I was at first, but now I'm too far in to back out. The guy pays a lot though. Enough for me and the pilot to keep quiet whenever the cops roll around. I guess that I'm like you, in a way." Chloe answered.

"I know what you mean. Me and John- jumped the edge of a waterfall yesterday. Must've been around 3000 ft. All that just so some old eccentric could get his mitts on an old piece of wood. The things one does for Poke, huh?" Rush said.

"Yeah. Still, don'tcha think that you could exaggerate your feat a little less? I know you're trying to impress me and all…." Chloe said.

"It's real! Look-"Rush motioned to the bandages scattered across his body "and John over there's actually started to hallucinate a few hours back. Mareanie. Had to knock him out just to get him to rest." Rush said.

"Oh, I believe the part about him getting poisoned- I could hear him freaking out from way in the front. But how could a fire type survive something like that?" Chloe asked.

"Urghh, forget it. It was a kiddie pool and I jumped out crying after my toes touched the water." Rush said.

"Hahahahaha! How old are you, exactly? 'Cuz you kinda act like the way a younger brother would." Chloe said.

"About 3 years. Wait. No, no, no! You can't-"

"You ARE younger than me. Then it's settled. From now on, you're my little brother!" Chloe said.

"…..You can't do this to me."

The loudspeaker cut their conversation short.

"Chloe? I need your help with something. Please get back to the flight deck ASAP."

"Well, it's been nice, but duty calls. Give this to him for me, wud ya little bro?" Chloe said.

Chloe retreated to the cabin, leaving 2 plates of pot roast in the lap of a Monferno whose mouth was agape with disbelief. The friendzone was slowly eating away his happiness.

….

F #k my life.

I just found out that there's actually a fate worse than death. Worse than death by waterfall, death by gigantic boulder, death by impalement, or any other thing I've faced in the past. I don't like it one bit. It feels like my heart was straight up ripped out of my chest. Now there's nothing but numbness inside. Yet despite that, there was still pain, and it was driving me crazy.

Something. I needed something else to focus on. The job! Yeah. I'll just go back to John. Wake him up. Surely the poison must've passed gotten out of his system by now. I had to tell him what I learnt about our client. As I thought about our client though, I remember who told me about him. Every thought I tried to distract myself with all keeps coming back to her. At least it can't get any worse than this.

Sh*t. I just jinxed myself, didn't I?

Yup.

As if to prove my point, instead of the snoring wreck I expected to see, was a wide awake John. And he was smirking.

"Loook aaaaat that! How's our Casanova doing?"

My waning tail flame suddenly grew about 3 times in intensity. I could see that he was well intimidated by my glare.

"Alright, alright calm down man! I was just kidding! Jeez!" He stammered.

The flame died down. My anger didn't. I lied down beside him on the sofa bed he was sleeping on.

"From the silent treatment you're giving me, I can assume that you're serious about her."

I didn't answer.

"Sigh. You know I can't give you any advice or consolation. I don't know about that kind of thing myself, either."

I still didn't answer him.

John picked up on what I wanted to talk about. Looking around, he asked me to go with him to the bathroom to take a look at his shoulder, saying that it 'felt kinda funny' under the bandage. I nodded, and we headed to the middle of the jet, where the lavatory was. John locked the door behind him, and checked every nook and cranny of the place (which was actually bigger than those of the economy class). Satisfied that there weren't any hidden monitoring bugs, he spoke in a hushed whisper.

"…You want to talk about our client." He said.

"Mafia." I said.

"What we're doing isn't exactly in line with law too. Just this once, then we act as if it never happened. Refuse any jobs they might give us."

"It could be a trap, you know." I asked.

"Maybe. If it is, we hightail it outta here. And grab that translator while we're at it."

"Frick. Why'd ya think they suddenly took interest in us?" I asked.

"I don't know, but for now, we have to make it seem like we're completely oblivious. Act naïve. Once we get the sh*t they've asked us for, we'll be in a better position to bargain. If they don't accept..…..yeah, let's not think about that for now."

"And here I thought that we would finally be getting a break for a change." I scowled.

"I know. Really though, if we make it through this, I promise- no adventuring for an entire year. Deal?"

"We wouldn't even be in this mess if some dumbass just hadn't recklessly accepted this job." I said.

"Come on, man. It's not like we're going to come by another one of these in a mall kiosk" John said as he gestured to his right ear.

I didn't answer him. He groaned, to which I responded with a curt smile.

"All riiight. 2 years. Ya happy?"

"Deal. Let's go, dumbass!"

I opened the door and set out for a laptop. Might as well get started on work. Before I could take two steps though, John tapped my shoulder to get my attention.

"Where's my roast?"

"Where it belongs."

"You ass!"

"Casanova needs all the sustenance he can get, pal."

John looked at me in a way which implied that he was pissed. I gave him a smug smirk. I wasn't exactly in the mood to share today. Besides, the pot roast really was good. A hint of some sweet kalosian wine in there. I wonder if she's also a chef?

Whoa there Rush. Remember. She's not interested. Just focus on the task at hand. Alright. Time to get some gear.

At times like these, I'm really glad that I learned how to use a computer. Just a few clicks and keyboard presses was enough to get us about a hundred grand's worth of items. Can see why a lot of people turn into hoarders because of Medium. Capitalism at its finest. Just need to make sure we've….goooot…..everything. There! Now just need to transfer some cash, and…..

"Sure you want to blow off that much? Medium's not the only online shop in the world you know." John said from across the room.

"Eh, money well spent. And all the others'll take forever to reach us anyway thanks to shitty shipping policies. I could go to P-bay."

"Touche. Fine. Just make sure they get it right."

That always works. John's never been fond of Medium to begin with, but after a mix-up we woke up one morning to actually find a hundred foot-tall Magikarp sculpture made of butter on our doorstep. Don't ask. Took John a solid DAY just to convince them that they had the wrong person, and by then our front lawn was completely swamped in butter. They still had us pay for it. So John naturally doesn't like Medium at best. But he sure as hell would choose it over P-bay. Let's just say that we were….on a budget, to be forced to get supplies from them. Long story short, their products didn't exactly work as good as advertised, and it led to the 2 of us almost getting castrated on one of our adventures.

Since then, P-bay was off limits.

Next was accommodations. Hmmm…..Mistralton. Literally in the middle of nowhere. No hotels. Driftveil. All booked out thanks to the upcoming PWT finals. Nimbasa. Based from the prices I saw, can probably expect their rooms to reek of smoke and have 'white stains' all over. Moving on. Castelia…"all tourists advised to seek lodging in other cities due to recent labor strikes." What the f%#k is up with that!? For some reason, any good place I find is just too far from where we need to be.

"Lookin' for someplace to stay?"

I was shocked to see Chloe staring over my shoulder at the laptop. I tried, but I couldn't help staring into her eyes. I get so lost in them, like if I could just stay in this moment, all would be right in the world. But of course, nothing good ever lasts. Especially as she noticed my flushed face.

"Aw, look at you lil' bro! You're so cute when your face goes all red like that! Simply adorable!" She said.

"D-don't call me that!" I answered.

"Actually, we were! You know any place near Castelia or Driftveil?" John butted in.

Chloe looked surprised to see John talking to her. Weird. Why would she….Oh wait. Riiight. The translator. She doesn't know. Well, looks like I've gotta explain-

"Translator." John remarked as he tapped his right ear. "Converts Pokemon cries into any human language through advanced vocal cognition tech."

"Those exist!? I always thought that that stuff was just sci-fi..." Chloe remarked.

"Dr. Mata Lino. Reclusive Johtoese zoologist slash inventor way ahead of his time. Invented 2 of these before he mysteriously vanished back in the 50's. Sounds cliché, but it's true." I said.

"Why don't you guys try to have that replicated? Tech like that could change the world!" Chloe said.

"We already did. How exactly he found a way to break the Poke-language barrier disappeared along with him." I explained.

"Rare gadgets aside, what about that hotel? You seem like you know a place." John asked.

"..Oh! Yeah, I do actually! But it's not a hotel." Chloe answered.

"Anyplace is fine." John answered.

"Then, you don't mind staying at my place for a while?" Chloe asked.

No. No. Noooooo! Her place!? I couldn't take it. First she gives me the friendzone, now she's asking me to stay in her house!? This thing is already painfully awkward as it is! What next, is she gonna ask me to do her fur while we talk about boys!?

"Wait, your place!? Uh, actually, me and John-" I started.

"Would love to! Man, thanks a ton. We'd probably be camping out in the woods again if it weren't for you!"

"What!? No, we-" I began.

"Nah, it's no biggie! Anything for my lil' bro. Though you'll have to wait for a bit till I'm done with my shift. Got 3 more planes I've gotta be in after this."

"Chloe, we're not-"

"We don't mind, we've got somewhere we've gotta be anyway."

"John, WOULD YOU STOP-"

"It's no trouble lil' bro, really! Just let me jot down my number for you. I'll be back in a bit!"

With that, she headed back to the cockpit, all chipper and smiles as she skipped.

Just like that, for the second time today I stood there, not believing what just happened. First time a girl's interested in me, and she calls me her small f%$king brother. And then, she invites me over to her place. Somehow, she doesn't notice how bad I feel. Are all girls this way? I hope not. I would be terrified of women. Sigh, I give up. Honestly, I just give up. I'm just going to go with wherever the wind blows, just like John. Heh. It's weird isn't it? I should be unhinged at the fact that the freaking mafia has us on a leash, but here I am wasting all my thoughts on a Lopunny I barely know instead of how to deal with the whole 'our lives are in danger' thing. Crazy, I know. But I guess that's just the way it goes.

We all do stupid sh*t when we're in love.

"Attention all passengers, we will be landing in Castelia International Airport in a few moments. Please buckle up your seatbelts. Thank you."

I sat at the window seat. Beneath us, I saw boats of all sizes from small yachts to huge cruise ships lining the docks. After that, it was nothing but a concrete jungle, with tall pillars of glass and steel touching the sky. Many people and Pokemon walked the streets in different directions, kinda looking like Durants which were set loose upon a table filled with food.

I only noticed John had sat next to me after I heard him talk.

"I know what you're thinking, but do you know what I think?" He said.

I said nothing. I didn't need to say anything really- he was gonna say it no matter what.

"This is a good thing, man. Think about it- she wouldn't let you into her home if she wasn't at least the tiniest bit interested in you. Might not be a bad thing to play up the lil' brother act. She could just be teasing you, ya know."

"All this from the guy who said that 'he doesn't know much about this kinda thing'?"

"Hey, I may be a dick at times, but you ARE my friend. Just looking after you mate."

"Heh. Enough with this sentimental bulls( t, you're starting to sound like a gay announcer in one of those commercials showing starving kids in orre."

"You're welcome." He said.

A few moments after our talk, Our sudden lurch forward told us that our jet had hit terra firma. It was a tad bumpy for a while, but got smoother as we approached the parking ramp on the tarmac.

I found out the hard way that the early January air Castelia has in the morning was cold to the fur. So cold that small clouds of air formed with every breath I took. John was even holding his hands over my tail flame as we went down the stairs. I hope that we get those new clothes soon. Or at least before the hypothermia sets in. We needed to get to the terminal, and fast.

Just before we could, though, I felt a light tap on my shoulder.

"Yea-"

A pair of soft lips found their way to my cheek as I turned around.

Chloe winked at me, and, leaving something on my opened hand, returned to the Bliz.

John was calling back to me, but I wasn't listening.

A huge smile spread across my face as I looked at what she handed to me.

"Call me. 542-754-3020."

It had a kiss mark next to it.


End file.
